Landlord and Tenant Smoke Alarm Agreements

July 26, 2017

The Ontario Fire Code and its enabling legislation, the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, prescribes ongoing fire safety standards for building fire safety equipment, systems and features. Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services would like to remind all tenants and landlords of their responsibilities and duties involving smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms in rental suites.

"Landlords have a legal responsibility to ensure that a rental suite has a properly installed smoke alarm within its expiry date on each level of the residence. Further, the landlord must inspect and test the smoke alarm yearly in their rental suites," said Fire Prevention Officer Rocco Celetti. "These annual smoke alarm inspections must be documented."

The Ontario Fire Code prescribes legal responsibility upon the tenant as well. Tenants must maintain smoke and carbon monoxide alarms by testing them monthly to ensure they are properly working and a tenant must report a faulty or disconnected alarm to their landlord as soon as they become aware of it.

Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services offers a Smoke Alarm Maintenance Form, which includes a Carbon Monoxide Alarm Maintenance Form, that informs tenants and landlords of their responsibilities, in relation to smoke alarms, as outlined in the Ontario Fire Code. This form can be obtained from the City of Sault Ste. Marie website at saultstemarie.ca/firesafe or by contacting your local Fire Prevention Officer at 705-949-3377.

There will also be another opportunity for landlords, owners, and superintendents of Multi-Unit Residential buildings to attend a seminar on fire safety and protection for their Class C occupancies. The seminar will take place on August 3rd, 2017. For more details or to sign-up for the seminar, please contact Public Education Officer Aaron Gravelle at 705-949-3377 or by email a.gravelle@cityssm.on.ca.